Meld the power of Adele with the eclecticism of Kate Bush, the intimacy of Tori Amos, the charming flair of Stevie Nicks and a dash of Taylor Swift, what do you have? You have Samsara, of course. Hailing from the UK, singer-songwriter Samsara traipses across jazz, pop, country and rock with her evocative vocals and melodies. From fronting a teenage band at the age of 15 to singing with stars like Don Henley, Steve Winwood, and Bryan Adams, and now releasing music as a solo artist, Samsara is an exciting artist to say the least.
After leaving music behind because of a cumulative abusive marriage where her husband wouldn’t allow her to sing, Samsara steps up to prove she may have taken a step back, but music is in her soul. Reaching audiences across the globe with chart-topping songs like ‘Love For All Time’, ‘Without You’ and ‘Hard To Love’, Samsara is difficult to ignore and we’re taking a gander into her single ‘Invisible’.
Released in 2022, ‘Invisible’ followed her single ‘Anything’ and brought listeners a soft, soothing country sound. Easily placed on any stage in Nashville, ‘Invisible’ has a toe-tapping element reminiscent of acts like Reba McIntyre and Tori Amos. Yet, while there is a powerful mainstream country sound, Samsara’s obscure vocals add a unique tinge to the ballad. Rich, confident and warm, her voice pulls you tight in a big hug while the instrumentation wraps you both in a comfortable blanket. Interestingly, while the song has a simplistic acoustic soundscape, the single is kaleidoscopic with a charming harmony in the arrangement.
A natural storyteller, Samsara shares reflective songs of life, love and journeys. ‘Invisible’ uses an intimate personal narrative to resonate with people who “feel invisible”. Yet, while there is a melancholic tone, hopefulness also exists in the moving single.
In addition to the single, Samsara released a lyric music video for ‘Invisible’. You can view the video below or on her YouTube channel.
For more from Samsara, check out her Facebook, TwitterInstagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
CBC Ottawa’s Creator Network is a place where young digital storytellers from diverse backgrounds can produce original video content to air on CBC and tell stories through their own lens.
Get in touch to pitch your idea, or check out our other Creator Network stories at cbc.ca/creatornetworkott.
When Faisa Omer switches on the bright lights and turns her camera on her subject, she knows the power of her lens to highlight the good, the bad and the stories of those who step into her spotlight.
The 31-year-old photographer and mental health counselor says she was blown away by the response to her first major photography project, which shed light on the racism her brother and his friends had experienced growing up Black in Ottawa community housing.
That led to gallery exposure and Omer’s photos being put on display in the mayor’s office, as well as his decision to expand the project across other communities across Ottawa, which he and videographer Hersi Osman documented for CBC Ottawa’s Creator Network.
Only this time, Omer decided to focus not only on the challenges and difficulties faced by Black youth, but also what makes them proud.
“Sometimes the trauma we go through kind of becomes who we are.… That’s what [people] see, what they remember,” explained Omer.
Telling that complicated story through images has become the photographer’s goal.
“We’re more than just these negative experiences that happened to us. We also have joy, we’re complex, just like other people, right? I wanted to showcase that and their hopes and dreams instead of just the negative side of the spectrum.”
Omer says she was overwhelmed by the feedback she received after posting photos of Black youth in her neighborhood and their stories of racism on her Instagram feed. (CBC)
Rooted in Ritchie
Omer’s first project started in the summer of 2020, when he asked his brother Abdullah, then 17, and his friends to pose in his family’s Ritchie Street basement.
She posted the photos to Instagram alongside the first-person stories they’d shared of their experiences being Black and growing up in a neighborhood that’s often in the headlines for the wrong reasons. It touched a nerve.
After Omer’s images of Black youth made their way to various local spaces including Lowertown OBAK, cafés, the Ottawa Art Gallery and the mayor’s office, Omer decided to expand his project to highlight youth in three community housing neighborhoods across the city. (Faisa Omer/CBC)
“One of the main sentiments that I felt from the community was how these stories were important. These photos had the power to change minds and attitudes towards Black people,” she said, adding she couldn’t keep up with the outpouring of messages from support.
For her, it seemed natural to keep going.
After garnering a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, she decided to take the idea to three more neighborhoods — Lowertown, Michele Heights and Overbrook, basing her operations in each area’s community house, hoping that would help young people feel comfortable and safe to share.
On camera, participants opened up on everything from what it’s like to have your photo taken, to how to respond when you’re repeatedly asked, “Where are you from?”
Shaunette Simon opted to share a message for the next generation.
“My hope is that my grandkids will be able to come into this world and be able to be kids … and not fear that they’re going to be judged and things are going to be denied to them because of the color of their skin , something that they can’t change.”
Omer says she was surprised and saddened by the difficult stories she heard, including one woman’s experience of suffering a brutal beating at 16 during her first year in Canada, which resulted in her losing a year of school, and what it felt like to learn later on that the case had been dropped.
Osman also said he was surprised by the depth of pain their subjects shared.
“They were telling personal stories about their first encounter with the police,” he said. “They got pretty deep in terms of their responses to what it means to be Black.”
He said he expected the 12-year-olds to care more about what they had for lunch or the activities at the Boys and Girls Club, but they all had their own experiences to add.
“They’re not as sheltered as we thought they were,” Osman said.
Omer, left, asked family friend and videographer Hersi Osman to help document her photography project. The pair know each other because their dads were roommates in the 1980s when they both moved to Ottawa before the rest of the family immigrated. (Submitted by Faisa Omer and Hersi Osman)
Timings in Lowertown
There were particularly difficult moments in Lowertown, where the scheduled photography session happened shortly after a shooting in front of the community house where an 18-year-old was killed.
Omer says it became an opportunity for people in that neighborhood to talk and share what feels like.
“I was thinking, this is when the community wants their voice to be heard,” she said. “Let me see what this neighborhood wants the rest of Ottawa to know about them right now.”
As a psychotherapist, Omer says the sessions were not just about the photos, but also helping the youth process a traumatic event and validating their feelings about it.
“You have to stop and give them that respect .. that eye contact while they’re speaking, ‘I can’t believe that happened, I’m sorry,'” she explained, adding that hearing those stories was hard on her, too, but talking it over with her siblings always helps.
Omer picked up a camera as a teenager living in Ottawa community housing. (Faisa Omer)
Still, Omer says he came away from the project seeing the pride the youth had in their neighbors and communities — a sentiment echoed by Osman.
“There’s a lot of bad press when it comes to certain neighborhoods in the city and people don’t see the positive side of it,” he said. “This was something that was going to shed light on neighborhoods that don’t really get the limelight they deserve.”
New home, new job
Since wrapping up this project, Omer has started a new chapter of her life. In January, she began a new job as a counselor at Carleton University.
Her family also moved to a newly built home in Findlay Creek this May, with enough room for their parents and all seven siblings, six of whom are over 20 — a bittersweet change for Omer.
“I feel like if you live somewhere for more than two decades, it definitely becomes part of your identity,” she said.
“I’m proud to be from Ritchie, and all the other neighborhoods that I grew up in, because it made me who I am today.”
All in a Day11:55Through Faisa’s lens
Why photographer Faisa Omer, who grew up in community housing, is taking pictures and amplifying the voices of Black youth in community housing across Ottawa.
We present to you the latest Album Titled “Uthingo Le Nkosazana” from Nkosazana DaughterFt. Murumba Pitch & Young Jonn, Nkosazana Daughter release a new album download that hits the internet today and we are delighted to inform you of the latest fresh out of the Conner. This zip album covers multiples songs and that’s what the fans have been waiting for. A top request from fans this period,
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Known for melding poetic introspection in soul-stirring melodies, US-based singer-songwriter Ben Freeman weaves intimate adventure into his music. First releasing his EP Providence in 2015, Freeman’s journey began quite a few years ago; however, it was only several years later that he “…arrived in a place of wanting to make music in a sustained way…the first summer of the pandemic became the context where a lot of other things that had previously seemed important fell away and I was able to get real with myself that this is what I wanted to do” (quote taken from our interview with Ben Freeman). The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Long Distance’.
Following his well-received album Quiet Fury, ‘Long Distance’ is Freeman’s first release in 2023. A collaborative project with long-time friend, collaborator and fellow artist Nora Rothman, ‘Long Distance’ oozes old-school soul with a passionate slick of alternative pop. The multi-layered vocals showcase not only Rothman’s inspiring voice but also Freeman’s wide vocal range. Bold and starting with a hint of soulful sensuality, ‘Long Distance’ is one of those tracks you could play alongside Sade. Yet, while there is a nostalgic flair to the melody, it has a contemporary feel making it perfect for a Bruno Mars meets Shawn Mendes playlist.
Produced with Jackson Hoffman at Hoffman’s studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, ‘Long Distance’ is the first track off Freeman’s upcoming EP. Groovy and laid back, the single has an elegant charm in its sophisticated arrangement. Yet, it appears to look at the core of human feeling in an intimate, slightly vulnerable way. Freeman explains that “this is a song about feeling close and far from someone at the same time. It’s nostalgia, ambivalence and desire in sonic form…”
For more from Ben Freeman, check out his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Friends for 43 years, the actor and Hart were married at the Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic: ‘It was surreal and magical’
Martin Ameztoy Photography
Blair Underwood and Josie Hart
When it came to planning his wedding with longtime friend Josie Hart, Blair Underwood was a very hands-on groom.
“I’ve been very involved,” Underwood, 58, tells PEOPLE exclusively of the couple’s destination wedding. In front of 100 guests, including actress Kim Fields and actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner , the two were wed on June 24 Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic. “I’m a Virgo and a bit of a perfectionist so I like to make sure details are taken care of.”
For more exclusive wedding photos and all the details, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.
Wedding planner Theresa Calcos of Casa de Campo worked with Angelica and Adriana Noriega of Caribbean Celebrations who created the ambience and decor for the celebration, which included a welcome party before the wedding.
Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception featuring a menu of Dominican ceviche, coconut breaded shrimp and grilled bacon wrapped plantains along with the bride’s signature drink, Prosecco with a splash of grenadine.
“It was a beautiful, soul-touching celebration of kindred spirits, love and family; as incredible as Josie and as phenomenal as Blair,” says Fields.
Martin Ameztoy Photography
(L to R) Blake Campbell, Paris Underwood, Berrett Wells, Brett Owens, Randii Foster, Blake Underwood, Brielle Underwood, Brie Owens
For the ceremony, Hart wore a bespoke transitional two-in-one gown featuring a fitted trumpet silhouette and a detachable overskirt with a cathedral length train designed by Nneka C. Alexander of Brides by Nona Couture Atelier. Underwood opted for an ISAIA ivory wool/silk jacquard patterned evening jacket with satin lapel paired with linen vest and evening trousers. Under an arch adorned with roses, two exchanged handwritten vows.
“The first time I saw her in the dress, she looked like a princess,” Underwood said. “She was so beautiful. The deep emotions that were displayed during the ceremony, the lightness and fun of the reception, it all felt humbling because it all just fell into place. It was amazing.”
At the reception, the couple celebrated with a five-tier, French Vanilla and butter crème frosted cake by Flor Reposteria. While DJ Germán Cabello of GCStar Punta Cana provided the music along with Underwood’s friend, Milo Levell, the bride and groom had their first dance to Tony Terry’s song “With You”—performed live by the singer as a surprise to the Hart—before fireworks lit up the night sky.
“It was surreal and magical,” Hart said of the day. “His vows, to hear him say the words he said to me for our forever was incredible. Between our children and all of them giving toasts, the fireworks right after our first dance, the entire day was just beyond my expectations.”
Underwood first met his bride when he was 16 and the two began a friendship that would span the next 43 years. “My mother loved and adored her. We lived separate lives on separate coasts. We never saw each other a lot. But when we talk, there’s always such a strong connection of just understanding each other,” he says.
The two began dating after their respective divorces and Underwood proposed last fall. “It just feels so right,” he adds. “I just feel like it is the next step in moving forward in my life, and doing it together in our lives together.”
More than anything the actor is especially grateful to have the love and support of their family and friends. “For all of those who know us, and I’m talking about our nine kids, grandkids, former spouses. For everybody to be on-board and embrace and accept this union is nothing but God,” he says.
“To find love and discover love in someone who’s been around in my life, in my family’s life, and as I have been in hers, for so long in an honorable, platonic way. To find each other in this space when we’re both single and looking to see how we’ll spend the rest of our lives. It’s a beautiful love story.”
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We present to you the latest Album Titled “4GOD II” from Rob49 Ft. Roddy Ricch, G Herbo, Trippie Redd & NoCap, Rob49 release a new album download that hits the internet today and we are delighted to inform you of the latest fresh out of the Conner. This zip album covers multiples songs and that’s what the fans have been waiting for. A top request from fans this period,
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Former Southern Pacific (now Union Pacific) rotary at Roseville, Calif. David Lustig
It can be intimidating sometimes, waiting to photograph a train with your camera and the 18-55 mm kit lens, standing next to a fellow fan sporting a monstrous telephoto zoom that in some cases costs more than the car that got you here. That person is going to get a shot you couldn’t even imagine with your gear.
Well, maybe. However, the equipment does not make the photographer. Yes, in the right hand, an extremely long or ultra-wide lens can certainly provide a unique perspective, but not necessarily a better one.
High in the Tehachapi Mountains, two BNSF freight trains pass each other near the loop. David Lustig
To prove that point, just look at some of the images from some of the great rail photographers who cut their teeth using Speed Graphics, Rolleis, Voightlanders, and Plaubels of the past. Hastings, Wood, Steinheimer, and many others had made their reputations by understanding their equipment, envisioning the scene, and getting the shot.
While any one of these shooters would have been thrilled to have a super telephoto or wide-angle zoom lenses, for the most part they did not. Their resources were usually limited to “normal” lenses or perhaps modest wide angle or short telephotos. Looking at those images today, nobody is complaining. Most of us are in awe of their ability to get the most out of what they had at the time.
Canadian Pacific locomotive No. 2539 on train No. 518 made a stop in Dorval, Québec. Philip R. Hastings
Today’s digital cameras are often sold as a “kit” including both body and a medium-wide-to-short-telephoto zoom lens (18-55mm is a typical example). Modern lenses, even inexpensive kit ones, are incredible pieces of technology, capable of resolving power unparalleled in previous decades.
What makes most rail photography stand out, whether it be from previous decades or today, is the subject, the framing, and the ability to create a scene. Invariably we couldn’t get the sun in the right spot, the underframe of the train was too dark, a train popped up unexpectedly in a different direction, or the only cloud in the sky decided to park right over where you are.
There’s an old adage with newspaper photographers; f8 and be there. How you craft the scene in front of you depends on talent, experience and a lot of luck. Not every shot is going to be a winner, but when everything comes together, you’ll know it. And no one is going to care what lens you use.
Perhaps Hal Miller of sister Kalmbach publication Classic Toy Trainsand former Managing Editor of Trains sums it up best.
“You’ll never hear anyone looking at an interesting photo say, ‘Well it’s great but it would have been better if he’d used ‘X’ lens or ‘Y’ camera.’ You were either there and you got the shot, or you didn’t.”
the Grand Canyon Limited at Mojave, Calif. The engineer is reading a train order as seen with his head out the window, meanwhile passengers and mail are loaded in the distance. Richard SteinheimerThe photographer rides the Pennsylvania train TT-1 around Horseshoe Curve in February 1960. Note 4-6-2 No. 1361 on display at left. Don Wood
Despite being only 19 years old, a freshman in college, singer-songwriter Sean Kennedy has the sophistication, maturity and elegance to stand up among his contemporaries. We spoke with Kennedy about his new album Forever Usbeing a musician in the 21st century, and much more.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Kennedy: Music is my way of expressing myself. Each of my records is like a time capsule that preserves the emotions and stories of myself from that time.
OSR: What inspired you to become a musician?
Kennedy: I started writing songs when I was 9 years old, and I immediately fell in love with it. I did it every day and eventually, I learned how to record. I started putting out music because I wanted to share what I had been making with the world, and I haven’t stopped since.
OSR: What can you tell us about your album Forever Us? Is there a backstory or theme to it?
Kennedy:Forever Us is a very special album for me. It’s about my first relationship, and the emotions surrounding it as I was getting ready to leave school. It’s a record that revolves around love and loss, but at its center, it’s an album about feeling lucky enough to experience love. It’s very different both sonically and thematically from my previous work.
OSR: What was the most exciting and least exciting thing about creating Forever Us?
Kennedy: Making this record was beyond exciting. Working with Francesco Massidda, a producer from Italy, was so creatively fulfilling. My last three records were made primarily on my own, so working with different collaborators, especially my friends, this time around was such a nice change. I don’t think there was anything not exciting about this album’s process.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Kennedy: I hope people find themselves within my music. I want people to be able to take my songs and set them for their own lives.
OSR: If you could change one thing about Forever Us, what would it be?
Kennedy: I took some time off between my last album and this one to really hone in on my craft and conceptualize a clear idea of what I wanted the next record to sound like. This album is exactly what I set out for it to be, so I don’t think I’d change anything about it
OSR: Of all the songs you have ever released, which is your absolute favorite and why is that one?
Kennedy: My absolute favorite song tends to change a lot. I don’t listen to my music much after it’s been released, so I think my favorite always tends to be whatever I’m currently working on. The song ‘Golden’ on this record is one of my current favourites, though.
OSR: What bad decision did you make that turned out to be a good decision?
Kennedy: I think some people in my life were very pessimistic when I made plans to release my debut single. I had just turned 15, I didn’t know what mixing or mastering was, and I was doing it all on my own. Some people told me I should wait, but I think releasing that song was the best decision I’ve ever made. It introduced me to the music industry and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.
OSR: What do you think are the challenges and advantages of being a musician in this digital era?
Kennedy: I think the digital age made it possible for artists like myself to get out there without signing to a label first. Just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to just decide to start releasing music. I think the downside to this is that the market is more oversaturated than ever, so it can be hard to stand out.
OSR: Do you have future plans as an artist?
Kennedy: I’m not sure what the future holds for me after this album. For so long I felt the need to always have a plan and I like that recently I’ve been letting the music come to me instead. I’ve been in talks with some very cool people within the industry, so I’m very excited to see what the future holds.
OSR: What message do you have for our readers?
Kennedy: I would tell the readers to remember to find the purpose in everything they do. Don’t go through the motions, find meaning.
Many thanks to Sean Kennedy for speaking with us. For more from Sean Kennedy, check out his official website, Facebook, TwitterInstagram and Spotify.
We present to you the latest Album Titled “Pistolz & Pearlz” from Kodak Black Ft. VVSNCE, Loe Shimmy, GorditoFlo, EST Gee, Lil Crix, Syko Bob, Wam SpinThaBin & WizDaWizard, Kodak Black release a new album download that hits the internet today and we are delighted to inform you of the latest fresh out of the Conner. This zip album covers multiples songs and that’s what the fans have been waiting for. A top request from fans this period,
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We present to you the latest EP collection Titled “Sweetboy Savage” from Eugy Ft. Maleek Berry & LADIPOE, Eugy release a new album download which hit the internet today and we are delighted to inform you the latest fresh out of the Conner. This zip covers multiple songs and that’s what the fans have been waiting for. A top request from fans this period,
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